Bay of Plenty honey producer Comvita is the recipient of government funding worth $1.7m in a Primary Growth Partnership.

The funding is for a seven year period and is intended to assist Comvita and Manuka Research Partnership (NZ) Ltd improve the reliability and supply of medical grade manuka honey.

Comvita chief supply chain officer Nevin Amos says the programme will move the manuka honey industry from wild harvest to science-based farming, with science being used to grow value and not merely volume.

'Comvita already has a wealth of existing knowledge in the area of manuka honey production with a focused research programme, built up over the last four and a half years, including development of a range of elite manuka cultivars,” says Nevin.

'This PGP funded programme will build on this knowledge and experience.”

Amos says the partners – landowners, a beekeeper and a marketer – possess key intellectual property, represent and understand the established supply chain and are major players with credibility in the manuka honey industry.

As partners, they will determine the economics and environmental influence on honey production in more detail, says Nevin, to understand how ecosystems affect yields and activity levels – commercially described as ‘Unique Manuka Factor'.

'The global market demand for manuka honey is continually growing, with supply – not demand – limiting current growth.

'If fully realised, it is estimated that this programme could see the industry grow the manuka honey sector from current estimates of $75 million towards a billion dollar industry and we're very proud to be at the forefront of this development.”